Drying-machine.



G. A. GUTTER.

v DRYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APB.. 19, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l Patented May 31, 1910.

G. A. GUTTER.

DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

U15/1 assess Aran! GEORGE A. CUTTER, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORT0 CELL DRIER MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE. l.

Darme-MACHINE.

lApplication led April 19, 1909. Serial No. 490,908.

To all whom it may conccrmi Be it known that I, GEORGE A. Curran, acitizen of the United States, residing in Taunton, in thecounty ofBristol and `State of Massachusetts, have -invented an Improvement inDrying-Machines, of which the following descri tion, in connection withthe accompanying rawings, is a specication, like letters\on the drawingsrepresenting like parts. 1

The present invention relates to a drying machine, and is embodied in amachine of that class in which the material or article to be dried is`conveyed through the apparatus, and held in contact with or adjacent toa heated drying surface, or surfaces, by a suitable conveyer, such, forexample, as an endless band of felt, or other suitable material. Suchmachines are used for drying pulp, paper, raw stock, such as wool,granular material, or separate articles suchas cuffs, hosiery and thelike-or in fact any material or article the nature of which is such thatitcannot be drawn through the machine without a carrier of some sort.Such machines are also used 1n some cases w1thV material v1n web form,where 1t 1s desired to obtain extra pressure against the dryingsurfaces, or when the strength of the material is insufficient to admitof pulling it through the machine. In a machine vof this class, themoisture driven off from the material or article being dried, must alsopass through the conveyer; and naturally is to a certain extent retainedthereby. It is desirable, therefore, to provide the lappara` -tus withmeans' for drying the conveyer itself, during the operation, so that themois- -ture retained therein will not check the drying of the materialgoing through. For this purpose, the machine is provided withl,supplemental drying elements arranged in the ath of the conveyer, s othat the conveyer in its travel passes in near proximity to or in actualcontact with. the'surfaces of the supplemental dryingelement, so as tobeheated to evaporate the moisture absorbed from the materlal beingdried.`

' The supplemental drying elements, herein shown as stationar cells, maybe disposed between adjacent rying cylinders, .or may ,be grouped in thereturn loop 'of the conveyer, or maybe disposed inY any suitablev way to-act -upon the conveyer when the said the regular 1n means combined withthe stationary cells for laterally stretchin the conveyer, which mayconsist of an en less band of felt, so as to maintain an even widththereof and tov prevent the felt from lar drying cylinders. This isaccomplished by providing the surfaces of the supple-v mental stationarycellslwith divergent ribs, the' said ribs diverging from the middletoward the edges in the direction of travel of the conveyer over thecells.

`Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of aportion of adrying-'machine embodying the invent-ion; kFi 2 is a side elevationof afelt drying cel constructed as shown in Fig. 1; Flg. 3 is a similar viewof a felt drying cell showinga modification; land Fig. 4 1s aperspective v1ew of a machine .showin a modification in the arrangementof the rying cells. j

The machine embodying the invention comprises the heated rotatingclyinders a around which travels the conveyer, herein shown as anendless band of felt, or other suitable material, indicated by thereference letter b, the material to be dried bein carriedk through themachine around the rying cylinders a, andthe intermediate cylinder c,the felt conveyer serving to hold the material in close contact with thesurfaces of the cylinders a, and, at the same time, tofsu port thematerial and aid in conveying t esame throughv the machine.

In the construction shown in Fig'. 1, the

band b extends only over the lower cylinders, the material not beingprotected by the felt asit passes over the upper intermediate cylinderc. In order to keep the conveyer d that is to say, to carry olf themoisture a sorbed from the material inlthe drying operationthe machineis provided with sup plemental drying members for alone, the saidmembersin the construction shown in Fig. 1 consisting of stationarycells d arranged at intervals along the machine between adjacentfelt-carrying drying cylinders a. From the cylinders a, the felt iscarried over idler rolls e, e2, e", there beting two 4of the rollsadjacent to the upper portion of the cell d, and one roll adjacentt'othelower portion thereof, so that the fltlwill travel.

Patented May 31, 191e.

puckering on the reguthe band I freely with tlie opposite surfaces ofthe cells d. In -order to obtain a stretching efect, and thereand at thesame time lie in contact by maintain the normal Awidth of the felt whileit is traveling through the machine,

and prevent the same from puckering or wrinkling, the cells dareprovided with projections or ribs d2 which diverge from the middle ofthe'cell in the direction of travel of the felt, so that the said ribstend to push the surface of the felt outward toward the ends of thedrying cells. A In the construction shown in- Fi 2, the divergence ofthe ribs d2 increases om the middle toward the ends of the cells, sothat the action on the felt is gradual, the stretch- ,ing effectincreasing toward the edges of the located between adjacent cylinders.It is practical, however, to locate the felt drying cells in the returnloop of the band of felt, so that it first passes `over the dryingsurface for the material, and-is subsequently passed over the dryingcells before again coming into operation to convey the material. Such' aconstruction is indicated'in Fig. 4, which is shown, for convenience, ascomprising a machine having only one drying-cylinder, it

being obvious, however, that the felt might be carried over a pluralitof drying cylin-l ders insuccession', as in t e machine shown in Fig. l,and then returned in al single loop around and out ofcontact with thecylinders.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the

l conveyer, after passing over the drying cyli inder or cylinders intocontact with which it is guided `by means of idler rolls D and D2,

. is returned out of contact with the drying cylinders, and during its.return travel is subjected to the action of the drying cells E4 f whichmay be suitably arran ed so as to afford an adequate drying sur ace withthe least amount of objectionable friction. In order that the conveyerma be subjected to the drying action at both si es, the cells may bestaggered, asindicated at the upper part of Fig. 4, so that the feltpasses over `one and under another, and itis obvious that thisarrangement might be repeated, if desired, al-

though it is practicable to arrange the additional cells, as shown inFig. 4, with the conveyer passing over only one surface thereof.

It obvious, however, that the arrangementof the cells may bevaried, thespecific construction and arrangement shown not being. essential to theinvention.

Claims. l. 1i In a drying machine, the combination with rotatable dryingcylinders; of an end-l lessl conveyer of felt or other suitable materialheld in contact'with said c linders; and a stationary heated drying ceprojecting into the path ofA said conveyer and lying in contacttherewith at points where said convelyer is not in contact with thecylinders. 2. a drying machine, a pluralit heated cylinders; an endlessconveyer a apted to travel in peripheral contact with said cylinders; `astationary heated drying cell projecting into the path of said conveyerand means for guiding said conveyer whereby it comes in contact withsaid drying surfaces.

3. In a drying machine, a pluralit of heated cylinders; an endlessconveyer a apted to travel in peripheral contact with said cylinders; astationary heated drying cell the surface of which is rovided withprojecting engaging parts iverging from the middle thereof toward theends thereof; and means for guiding said conveyer whereby it comes incontact with said surface.

4. The herein described; dryingv element for 'a continuously travelingweb, which is provided with a surface-portion adapted -to be heated andto be located in contact with said -traveling web, and diverging ribs orprojections on said surface.

5. The herein described drying element fora traveling web,whichcoi'isists of a stationary heated element having a convex surfaceprovided with projecting engaging parts diverging from the middle of'said` element toward the ends thereof.

6. A stationary d g element for a traveling web, consisting of a steamheated cell havin a convex surface provided with ribs exten g along saidsurf-ace substan-d tially in the direction of travel of said web,

said ribs divergin from the middle toward the ends of the gence beingprogressively increased.

7. A drying machine having a plurality of rotatable drying cylinders; anendless `conveyer; idler rolls whereby said conveyer is held in contactwith the periphery of the cylinders throughout a portion of its travel;stationary heated dryingcells; and means for guiding said conveyer intocontact with said stationary cells during another portion of its travel.Y

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name tothis specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. ,I

GEORGE A. CUTTER.

Witnesses:

JAS. J. MALONEY, M. E. CovENiiY.

andthe angle of diver-

